


Small Victories

by TechnologicalNoiz



Series: Marshal Harbinger [8]
Category: Fallen Hero Series - Malin Rydén, Fallen Hero: Rebirth (Video Game)
Genre: Other, aka william and morgan, introducing cinder and dead zone!, marshal harbinger au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2020-06-24 06:07:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19717759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TechnologicalNoiz/pseuds/TechnologicalNoiz
Summary: You can't keep the smile from your face, despite your previous foul mood. "Hey Jo!" You greet with her signature sloppy salute, a habit you picked up.The hard edges of her mind soften as she looks at you, glad to see you smiling again. "Sup' kid." She pulls you in for a quick one armed hug. She is the aunt you never had, grouchy and protective. She has become family. "Ready to get your ass kicked?" It's nice to have a family again…





	Small Victories

You shut the door to the fridge harder than necessary flinching slightly when it slams. It has been weeks since you screwed up and the Marshal is still giving you the cold shoulder... well, colder than usual. It was a rookie mistake. One that anyone could have made. 

"What do you want William?” You sense him before he even speaks. “I'm not in the mood." You put your food in the bag before turning around.

Cinder looks at you, leaning against the door frame. "Your  _ babysitter  _ is waiting for you in the lobby." He muses, a smug smirk growing on his lips. You stare back at him, annoyed. You hate how full of himself he can be. Overconfidence radiates from him, shows in the ways he speaks and moves. You can see it even now as he stands there with his gloved arms crossed. You know that burn scars litter them. It's why he covers himself, even in the summer, to keep the flawed skin away from prying eyes. 

Insecurity scrawled across his flesh, burned by the loss of control, but he hides it well. Proud and sharp, he doesn't give two shits about what people think of him. 

You wish sometimes you could be more like that.

"She's not my babysitter." You roll your eyes.

"Could of had me fooled." He always does this, picks the days that you are the most irritable and digs.

"You're an asshole, you know that?"

"And?" He arches an eyebrow pushing off the wall to stride purposefully towards you. "What's your point? Little mister goodie two shoes."

"Don't call me that." You state as you cross your arms over your chest. Your irritation spiking.

"Why? It's what you are. Always kissing the Marshal's ass." He knows that he's getting on your nerves. He's doing it on purpose. You can tell by the smug aura oozing from his mind. And yet you can't stop yourself from responding.

"You don't know shit about me!" Your eyes narrow, fists clenching. Sometimes you wish you could punch him right in his smug mouth, hopefully taking teeth with it. But you can't. Especially not now. You are in enough trouble as it is.

"I know you can't hold your own in a fight." His smirk grows, a lethal weapon locked on to it's target, you. You've had enough of this shit.

"I swear if-"

"Will you two ever quit it?" You both jump, startled by the sudden sound of a third voice in the room. Stoic and unimpressed.

"Can you  _ please _ make some noise when you walk or something?" You groan. The sudden shock making your anger dwindle. "I hate it when you sneak up on me like that." You turn to face the intruder.

Morgan, the level headed one of the team. Something about their powers messes with electromagnetic waves around them, making it impossible to get a picture. All that shows up is a blur, a hint that someone may be there. Or, if they feel like it, they just disappear completely.

Their eyes shift smoothly over to you, gaze steady. "I don't care." You can never tell what they are thinking. There isn't even the faintest hint of a presence. It's as if you are standing in the room with a ghost. No. Even a ghost would have more of a presence than them. They make you anxious. You feel blind. You've grown so used to relying on your telepathy over the years, that when you can't you don't know what to do.

Deadzone is a fitting name.

You glance over at William, unease radiates from him. He shifts uncomfortably as they walk closer, steps silent. His eyes dart to you, searching. He's wondering if you are uncomfortable too. Maybe he knows you are.

You sigh rubbing the back of your neck. "Whatever," you mutter as you grab your bag from the counter. "I've got places to be." You walk out of the room without another glance, Williams subconscious practically begging you to stay. You smirk. Good. Let the asshole squirm. 

When you arrive in the lobby you are met by a familiar figure. You can't keep the smile from your face, despite your previous foul mood. "Hey Jo!" You greet with her signature sloppy salute, a habit you picked up.

The hard edges of her mind soften as she looks at you, glad to see you smiling again. "Sup' kid." She pulls you in for a quick one armed hug. She is the aunt you never had, grouchy and protective. She has become family. "Ready to get your ass kicked?" It's nice to have a family again…

She ruffles your hair. You bat her hand away. "I'm not actually a kid you know!" Maybe not by worldly standards, but in her eyes you are a baby.

"Right, you keep telling yourself that." She heads for the door. You follow close behind. 

A few hours and many bruises later, you lay there on the cold cement floor of her workshop, chest heaving. She's still going easy on you and you can't keep up! "You know… I don't get it." You roll over to you stomach propping your head on your hands.

She arches a heavily scarred eyebrow. "Don't get what?"

"Why is the Marshal so hard on me?" This again, her confusion melts away, replaced by something more complicated, something darker, something… sad? "He's not like this with the rest. Is it because I'm a telepath? Like…" Your eyes dart away. You feel a stab of guilt over something you couldn't control. Maybe it would have been better if the drug killed you… She knows what you are going to say before it leaves your mouth, "Sidestep…" You glance back at her. "Is Sidestep the reason why he hurts so bad? When his shields went down it was… overwhelming." Your voice is a whisper. "I've never felt that much pain before. It was suffocating."

Her eyes soften as her shoulders go rigid. "That's something you'll have to ask him about." You can hear the concern in her voice, feel it in her mind. She is worried about you, but not only that. She is worried about Daniel. Daniel? It takes you a moment to place the name.

"I've tried…" You protest. "I want to…" A correction. "But he won't even talk to me when we aren't training. And when he does it's only to reprimand me." You push yourself up off the ground and start pacing. It hurts. "I know I messed up bad but…" You trail off raking a hand through your hair.

"Hey, he'll come around." Jo approaches you laying a comforting hand on your shoulder. "Just give him time." She really believes that he will. The stupid asshole. Her thought not yours.

"Yeah I guess… I just wish it wouldn't take so long." The Marshal, your hero, your mentor. A man that you are learning has been broken by the world, shattered to pieces and scattered by the wind. He does a good job of hiding it. He doesn't let people close enough to see. You wonder if he will ever heal…

You wonder if he even wants to.


End file.
